Barriers
by Zedmen
Summary: Throughout her youth in Ionia, Syndra's reckless use of magic terrified the elders of her village. They took her to a remote temple, leaving her in the care of an old mage. To Syndra's delight, the mage explained that the temple was a school—a place where she could develop her talents under his guidance... (A story about Syndra, The Dark Sovereign. M for later chapters!)


**Author's Note** : Hello everyone, Zedmen here! Throughout my years of RPing Syndra on Tumblr, I have finally decided to show you all my interpretation of her lore, and how interesting of a character she could be despite her rather paper thin character development provided by Riot. This story is generally turned towards the **Justicar** skin in it's later chapters, but a vast majority of it is about Syndra's childhood, her journeys into the temple, all the way to her master's murder. Due to my busy schedule, I have little time to proof read... And I apologize for that in advance, but I hope you enjoy it regardless! Thanks!

*Italics in the story are to be read as Ionian / Japanese.

 _"Moon dust in your lungs, stars in your eyes. You are a child of the cosmos, and ruler of the skies." - Anonymous_

 _–_

'What brings one to be born to power?'

'What entails one a seat upon a golden throne?'

'Who among us are worthy to be held so highly above the rest?'

'Who among us deserve to _fly_?'

These universal questions, among many others, are the last thing to be held in high regard in the mind of a woman giving birth. Her hands clutched violently against the sheets as she gave one final push, amber hues hidden as her eyelids shut tightly and she screamed. She screamed for dear life, a painful hiss surrounding and echoing throughout the room.

And then, silence. A quiet air that filled the room with relief as those same amber orbs were opened and embraced the sight of the rest of their life. The small baby girl being held comfortably in the arms of her father, tiny fingers playfully prodding at her father's facial hair. In return, the man's hand pressed against the child's head, his fingers idly stroking the bit of hair that lay atop it.

" _Her name shall be Yukimura…_ " The father spoke, his decision being made upon the beautiful and perfectly white strands that lay atop his child's head.

The mother paused at this, a few deep intakes of air before she would speak. " _It is a girl…_ " She would murmur, rather unimpressed at the realization. Amber orbs scanned the baby momentarily, searching for judgments she could make before the child was even old enough to hear her cast them.

And then, the child screamed.

It howled into the room with such force, her father almost thought to drop her. Luckily, he regained himself quickly and attempted to coddle the child to his chest. It soon worked, and the infant ceased her shrieking…

When it stopped, the mother finally spoke up once more.

" _Her name shall be Syn._ " She stated simply, having made her decision at the outburst. " _No, rather, that's far too droll… Syndra. It suits her better, don't you think?_ " She asked quietly due to her physical weakness, but her voice dripped with a tone of 'you don't have a choice' in each syllable that left her mouth.

The man simply nodded, still intent on keeping his own name upon the child. Perhaps as a middle name? He was uncertain. For now, he would offer to hand the child to her mother…

She refused with a shake of her head, laying back down on the bed and falling into a deep sleep.

In a nearby home, an inexplicable fire occurred… The family who lives there can still not explain the phenomenon that had happened that day, some who were in the home as it happened claim it to be a demon. Other's say they simply remember a baby's cry and then, flames.

–

Takashi Miyamoto was a woman of little patience, so naturally, it was hard to imagine such a woman having a child. Each time the baby shrieked from the confines of it's room, the young woman couldn't help but cringe each time. Her husband, Daichi Miyamoto, was little help in this case. Men of Ionia were rarely expected to tend to the children at home, it certainly did not help he was a man of wealth.

Meaning, he had much better things to do than stay at home and coddle his six month old baby. For Takashi, on the other hand, this was a full time job; and not one she very well enjoyed. Takashi was not built for caring for a child, this was certain. Her hotheaded nature only led to her yelling at the child each time it screamed for attention, food, or a diaper change; despite full knowing that the baby had no idea what she was saying.

She knew not how gentle you must be when holding a young one when she grabbed the child, holding the baby to her chest as she fed the young one after what seemed like hours of crying. Though she may have had little interest in caring for the child, there were small moments such as these where she did feel a motherly connection towards the girl. It made her heart skip a beat, something she usually only felt in the arms of her husband.

Speaking of, Daichi was growing rather fond of the child himself. He did not know why, he never spent much time with her; but since the girl's birth, he knew he would protect the little one until his final days. Perhaps it was simply a deep seeded protective nature the man had over the things that he considers his, or a bond between father and daughter.

It was hard to say what exactly provoked such an urge within the father, but it worked well for the baby's advantage. As the mother would never think to neglect or yell at the child in her husband's presence, her undying loyalty to him far greater than any disdain she felt towards raising the child.

After feeding, Takashi withdrew the child from her bosom. She was alone today, as she was most days with her husband busy tending to the roots of his wealth, and opted to leave the child be for a time to get some rest. Perhaps tend to her garden, or begin dinner for when her husband returned home. With quick footsteps, she would return the baby to it's room and leave the child to rest for a time.

So, the baby lay inside it's small wooden cradle. Daichi spared no expense in giving his first born the best he could, and it showed. The design upon it was beautiful, and clearly hand made. What was most magnificent about the baby's bed, was the wooden mobile that hung above the crib. It sparkled with various gems upon the design of the wood, clearly meant to capture the baby's attention with the illuminating sparkle when the sun hit upon the small rocks.

But what really captured the eye, was the design of the mobile. Four dragons, gems for their eyes, rotated in circles over the head of the child. Every detail of the dragons, from the small scales intricately carved into it to the beautifully shaded color painted upon it was perfect. Clearly, it cost a pretty penny for such a thing and it certainly did it's job.

The child, Syndra, could not get enough of the object. Her small hands reaching up and trying to grab at the dragons happily, rare lavender orbs glinted with amusement as she attempted to capture the small bells that the dragon's held upon a string from their mighty maw.

However, the baby enjoyed this toy for more reasons than one. The child possessed a gift, a gift she was not often able to use upon a whim. No, she had to have a center of focus to truly exhibit these powers; lest they show themselves in far more dangerous ways as they have in the past. Unexplainable spills and small fires have become common since Syndra had joined the Miyamoto family, but far be it from either of her parents to realize that she was the root cause.

What harm could a baby do, after all?

She did not know she possessed this gift, but the child was smart enough to realize that she could do these things. Her favorite thing to do with this gift, was to reach to the dragons and play with them. Her hands offered a purple hue to them and her lavender orbs seemed to sparkle as she waved her little hands around the wooden toy, seemingly creating something in the palm of petite appendages.

In them, she began to form different colors; one for each dragon. One was that of crimson, its eyes shone brightly and dangerously as it came to life and danced around the child. The next was that of a lavender, it moved vibrantly and carelessly along the crib. The third was that of emerald, it was the least mobile of the four; it posed regally atop the baby's crib as if it were it's throne. The last was likely the most intriguing, that of a royal blue. It did not seem to show much personality in it's movements, but it seemed to be the child's favorite. The way it twirled around Syndra's small arms, and nudge it's small face against her (even smaller) nose to cause the child to coo happily.

Naturally, these visions were not able to be touched. How easy it was to weave your hand through these magical creations, and they would not even flinch. Their movements acting upon the child's will, each showing different pieces of the baby's personality before even she can. Yet, they seemed real if one were to look upon them. They could even breath fire at times! But it was never real fire, no; simply another illusion the baby produced with her gift.

It felt like hours that the child played with the four 'toys' she had created for herself, maneuvering them every which way and watching them have little spars between each other every now and again. Lavender hues transfixed on the sight before her, as if she was looking at the most interesting thing in the world. The joyous laugh of the baby could be heard echoing throughout the room as she did so, a few housekeepers would peek in now and again to see why the baby was so amused. Upon seeing the sight, they opted to simply rush off and not dare question the peculiar situation. No one would believe them, anyway.

After a time, Syndra tired as all young ones do. Her little arms coiled back into her body, and the dragons slowly dissipated in the air they once flew around so carelessly in. The child coiled into a small bundle with the blanket that lay upon the inside of her crib, and lavender hues once filled with excitement now rested as the baby shut her eyes.

Above her, the mobile gave a gentle chime as a gust of wind blew past it, and the baby could not help but coo in it's deep slumber.

–

The Miyamoto's household was almost laughable at how large the estate spread for such a tiny family, even with the housekeepers for the noble family; it still seemed excessively large. Not that Syndra could complain, the child loved nothing more than to explore around the cherry blossom trees and pick flowers in her mother's vast garden. She was a curious soul, and a home with such a long and noble heritage as this always kept the young one entertained.

Lately, however, she never really had the chance to indulge her curiosities. Her mother had taken to starting the child on many lessons, ranging from table etiquette to perfecting her posture; there was no end to Takashi's teachings in 'being a proper lady'. An odd thing to be teaching a five year old, but the woman was insistent on ensuring her daughter was that of a pristine princess. Luckily, today Syndra was free of such things, her father having promised to spend time with her and do whatever she wished.

Daichi, being a man of his word, did as he promised and the two spent their time in the gardens. The man having the help set up a small picnic for his daughter and himself beneath a beautiful cherry blossom tree, his large frame looking rather odd in comparison to the small cushion that he sat upon. His strong hand almost looked as if it was to break the petite tea cup he held in it, as he brought it to his lips with a soft sigh.

The young girl was more than ecstatic to spend this day with her father, lavender orbs glinting with youthful glee as she watch the large man sip upon the tea she had made for him. " _Do you like it, daddy?_ " She questioned, folding her hands upon her lap in anticipation for his answer.

Daichi was not a man of many words, it was occurrence when he would speak and even more rare when he shared a smiled to another. However, to his daughter; he would give both as his dry lips pulled upwards and he placed the cup down. " _It is perfect, Syndra_." He would reply, reaching across the table to give a fatherly ruffle of her hair.

To this reply, Syndra's smile stretched across her face. She rarely has the opportunity to see her father, let alone spend time with him; to get his approval, even on something so small…. It meant the world the the child. In her excitement, her own tea cup began to shake softly, a few drips of the dark tea spilling upon the table. Barely noticeable, her father didn't seem to pay it any mind and instead retracted his hand from his daughter's head.

" _I trust the teachings with your mother are going well?_ " He then questioned in a change of topic, causing the smile upon Syndra's lips to twitch downwards and give him a small nod. Daichi seemed to notice this lack of response from his daughter, causing him only to further the subject. " _I am glad, you are sure to grow up to be a lovely young lady._ " He attempted to compliment the young girl, hoping it would turn her away from the frown that now adorned her face.

Syndra, for her part, could only reluctantly nod once again. How could she tell her father she hated the tiring exercises and repetitive scolding her mother would put her through? The child could only bare through the conversation, hoping her father would drop it all together for the time being. Today was their day, and she hardly wished to spend it talking about her mother's insistent need to pamper her into a miniature version of herself.

Daichi seemed to take the hint, and promptly dropped the subject. There was no point in upsetting the child, especially when he knew of what tended to happen when such a thing was done. It dawned on the two parents only a few months ago that the child must possess some magical power, when tea cups or one of their many antiques would break and shatter every time Syndra threw a childlike fit over an argument or disagreement she would have with her parents.

To this, they hoped if they did not provoke this magical power within the girl; it would simply bury itself, and go away. They hardly wished to go down a path where they embraced such a thing, worried that she may be sent off to fight in the war that plagued their city-state or taken away from their family to be taught the ways of a powerful sorceress. As their first born, she was important to the noble name of the Miyamoto's, her rich noble blood to be married into another home to expand the already vast wealth her family has built over the years.

They could not have her taken away because of something so, as her mother would put it, distasteful. Daichi could not help but agree, not willing to send his daughter off to war and wishing only to use her later on to expand his name with marriage to a young noblemen in Ionia. A promising future is what he would call it, and he was hardly ready to give that away at the signs of the magic the girl clearly possessed.

For her part, Syndra was always one to practice her talents. With or without permission, or guidance. She loved to exercise this gift, though she learned long ago to never do so when her parents were around. She did not know why they held such disdain for it, each time she had tried to show them her special powers, they would scold her.

She learned quickly this would be something she must practice in secret, caring little for her parents approval on the subject. This was something that she loved, and it made little sense to her why something she loved should be stripped from her without a second thought. So, she would continue on her own in secret whenever given the chance.

The two sat in the garden for what felt like hours, in a comfortable silence only interrupting by the sounds of a gentle breeze causing the leaves to rustle above them or the light sipping of their tea. It was rare to see the child so quiet, Syndra often outspoken and rambunctious even at such a young age. Today, she would simply enjoy the silence and simplicity of this moment. It was a rare occurrence, and she would not take such a thing for granted.

When the tea was finished, the housekeepers soon came to clean. They offered the two another pot, but Daichi waved off the request quickly. Her father stood soon after, offering a hand to his daughter. Syndra gladly took it, and was quickly swept into her father's arms, causing the young girl to giggle happily. " _Enjoying yourself?_ " He asked fondly, placing her upon his shoulders.

How odd she looked, the small girl atop the shoulders of the man. His broad chest and tall stature making her look like the head of a giant, and she loved every second of it. " _Yes, daddy!_ " Reaching for the cherry blossoms that adorned the tree above her, and capturing them in her grasp. With her magic, she began to play with them in the palm of her hand. Rotating them in circles, stacking them together to create different shapes, and then eventually putting them back upon the branch to continue their growth.

Daichi didn't seem to notice, chocolate hues instead drifting off to the scene of his the sun setting over his estate. Had he seen such a sight, there was a good chance the poor child would have been dropped. " _Isn't it beautiful, little sparrow?_ " He questioned, beginning to walk along the cobblestone path of the gardens.

Syndra, entranced with the beautiful foliage that surrounded her, did not respond. To him, it may seem like a simple garden; but to a child, to her, it was a gargantuan playground of wonders and she floated above it upon his shoulders. It filled her with delight, as made apparent by the dumb smile that sat upon her face. Without thought, she wrapped her little arms around her father's head, hugging close to him as if to thank him for all he has given her today.

From afar, her mother watched the sweet scene play out. While many would find it endearing, she couldn't help but sneer. Her husband was negligent, failing to notice the way Syndra weaved the plants around her to amuse herself. How the roses and lilies formed an unnatural dance of magic around the other foliage, a slight sparkle in the air around them. It was obvious to Takashi, but her husband seemed oblivious. She expected more of him.

She would simply have to take matters into her owns hands.

A sharp whistle could be heard, and a bell ringing throughout the courtyard as Takashi waved the two inside. Daichi, caught off guard at first, was almost liable to drop Syndra at the sudden noise. " _Coming, dearest._ " He replied softly, but just loud enough for her to hear his response. Turning on his heel, he began to walk back towards his home.

Syndra, in response, immediately pulled at her father's hair as if the long obsidian strands were reins to steer him back. When ignored, she let out a small whine of annoyance. If there was one thing Syndra hated; it was to be ignored.

" _Listen to your mother, little sparrow. She knows well, and only wants what is best for you…._ " He then stated, reaching upwards to grab his daughter and place her down upon the ground. The young mage couldn't help but pout up at him, hoping her sorrow would convince him otherwise. It did not, as made evident by his hand urging her forward towards their home. " _Come, it is time to eat._ "

Realizing she was defeated, she returned home with her father. Once there, she was greeted by her mother. A victorious grin plastered on her face as she led them to the table, the three sitting upon the three of the many cushions that surrounded that as the help began to serve them their dinner.

" _I saw what you did in the garden_." Takashi then spoke up, softly yet a certain cold and methodical tone dripped from each syllable that left her mouth. When she did so, Syndra's father seemed to perk up with interest. " _We have told you many times, child. You cannot do such things, it is unladylike and it is a danger to those around you._ " With the tone she held in this statement, it was very clear that she was not lying about the ordeal.

While Daichi did not understand at first, it was the second statement that seemed to trigger his understanding of the situation. " _Yukimaru…_ " He stated, his tone far lower than it had been the rest of the day. When he said this, Syndra shrank into her seat; whenever her father used that name upon her, it was never good. Before Syndra could formulate a response to these accusations, the man pointed a finger towards her and then towards the maid. " _Take her to her room, she will do without dinner tonight._ "

The housekeeper did as ordered, quickly snatching the child up into her arms and carrying her off. Syndra whined, wiggle and kicking around in the maid's grasp to no success. This was not _fair_. She did not even know she was using her special gift in the garden, and now she is to be punished for it?! A loud cry emitted throughout the house, and the objects shaking within the home indicated Syndra's hositility towards the situation.

The two opted to ignore their child, hoping that if they simply leave her be that she will get over it. Though, admittedly, Daichi's heart ached with each small shriek of anger and sadness he would hear throughout the evening; he knew this was for the best.

–

" _Syndra! Are you dressed yet? You should have been done– What are you doing?_ " A firm slap on the back of her head, causing the child to slip on the tight shoes she was forced to wear that day. The child winced at the contact to the floor as she fell, and Takashi tugged her hair lightly to encourage her back up.

By now, Takashi would think her daughter would have learned better. It has been well over a year since she has been teaching her child to be more ladylike. Well, that, and yelling at her what seemed like every single second of the day about not exercising those damned powers of hers. Was her child's skull really so thick? It seemed whatever she said, Syndra would never listen and do the opposite. It was sure to drive the older woman insane.

" _But… I don't want to._ " The child stated firmly as lilac gazed defiantly up to amber, Syndra was not one to take orders so easily… Even when all odds were against the small girl. She was certainly a difficult child, but she was smart. She knew well how difficult she was, and she exerted this upon her mother's patience regularly. " _This is dumb and I hate it._ " She grumbled beneath her breath, her legs curling into a criss-cross on the floor. Refusing to get up.

" _I told you, you shall not use such distasteful language… Nevermind._ "

A few choice Ionian 'words' could be heard muttered under her mother's breath before she would leave the room, heels clicking with a certain edge in each step as she descended down the hallway. As the clicking of the heels disappeared, Daichi entered. " _Yukimaru…_ " He began. As was expected, she called upon her father. Something that has become the norm for the family, ever since Takashi realized there was little to get through to Syndra at this point.

Syndra huffed.

" _No! This is the worst! I don't want to do it again…_ "

" _You have to._ "

Her least favorite phrase, and her father knew it. Why? Because now the child knew she had to do it, and it simply infuriated her. She was so tired of this, the gatherings and socials. There was no room to **play** at these things that her parents put together so often, it simply bore her. Even with the promises of other children, it was simply an excuse to keep her from another tantrum or to search for a eligible suitor from another prestigious family.

At such a young age, she felt so old.

All she wished to do… Was play.

She did not speak back to her father, but her fists tightened into small balls of frustration as she bowed to him in respect for his decision. Far be it from her to disobey, she had learned better than to do that in the past. Behind her, a small ornament shattered and her eyes began to shine brightly with a rare lavender.

" _Syndra…_ " Daichi began, but cut himself short. He had other things to attend to, and this was a battle he was not willing to fight right now. As he made his way to pick up the bits and pieces of the shattered trinket, his lips thinned into a small frown. " _I will leave you be for ten minutes, when your mother returns you shall be dressed accordingly._ " With quiet steps, he then left the room. The remnants of the ornament in hand.

Although the orders were strict, Syndra knew there was a kindness laced within them. Ten minutes… That was more than enough time to play! A small glint of excitement passed through lavender hues, mischievous lips turned upwards into a wide grin. Taking off those annoyingly tight shoes and leaving them on the ground beneath her, she then stood.

With a wave of her hand, she summoned a small orb… Well, what was supposed to be an orb. It only appeared to be a bundle of energy, forming to create several different and odd looking shapes. It was unstable, of course. The young mage unable to create the shape she had so hoped for; but this will do fine instead.

She cradled the tiny object in her hand, and then she would raise her other hand to create another. Small bundles of energy floating in the air… It astounded Syndra to no end! Experimentally, she would bring her hands together, and with them, the balls of energy. With great focus, the child molded them into each other to create a larger (and far more dysfunctional) 'sphere'.

To this, she smiled happily. It was a success!

She had never gotten this far with her 'special powers' yet (well, not on purpose; anyway), and she was quite proud of it. That was, until, the door opened behind her and a loud yelp was heard.

" _By the Gods!_ " Came the womanly screech, and with it went Syndra's progress. Her hands fumbling with the bundle of magic and it fell to the floor in a loud 'thump!' as it detonated. Luckily, Syndra suffered no harm from energy blasting in front of her as it was in such a small radius.

Her shoes, however, were not so luckily.

Another slap on the back of her head, the child whining in response to the act as she was dragged up properly this time by her ponytail. " _You ruined your shoes! Now what will you wear?!_ " Takashi growled, keeping her in place as she scurried along to grab the clothes that Syndra had tossed to the side prior. " _Didn't your father talk to you? I can't believe this…_ " Fingers maneuvered the child every which way to dress her in a traditional kimono. "S _ometimes you can be so dense, child. When will you learn?_ "

Syndra simply shook her head in disbelief.

There was no regret for what she did, nor did she offer an ear to her mother's apparent anger. She was so very proud of what she had accomplished, lavender hues refused to leave the blemished spot upon the floor in which her magic had erupted. How fun!

She grinned ear to ear, not a care in the world until a manicured hand grasped her jaw and forced her attention elsewhere. " _Are you listening to me?_ "

" _…_ "

Thus would come the third slap upon the back of her head, causing the child to come back to reality and assess the gravity of her mother's words. " _I'm sorry_." She murmured, eyes attempting to drift back to the floor.

The grip harshened.

" _Apologies do not fix your shoes._ "

The grip was then released, the owner of the hand off to order a nearby servant to find her child proper footwear. She would return soon after, grabbing the child by her shoulder. " _Come._ " Her mother ordered, Syndra obeying with reluctance.

" _We have guests to entertain._ "


End file.
